Explaining and Assessing Criminal Case Disposition - A Comparative Study of Nine Counties - Final Report, Volumes 1-6

• NCJ Number: 85364
• Author(s): J Eisenstein; P F Nardulli; R B Flemming
• Date Published: 1982
• Length: 1073 pages
• Grant Number(s): 79-NI-AX-0062
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Justice (NIJ); US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This 6-volume study assesses how criminal court systems work in 9 jurisdictions, based on observations of courtroom proceedings; interviews and surveys of over 300 judges and attorneys: and data collected on the characteristics and processing of about 7,500 cases. The purpose is to highlight the similarities and differences in the way various criminal courts operate.

Abstract

The study examined the following county court systems: criminal courts of Dupage, Peoria, and St. Clair, Ill.; of Oakland, Kalamazoo, and Saginaw, Mich.; and of Montgomery, Dauphin, and Erie, Pa. The research focus is on defendants' case outcomes. The report details each court's efficiency, disposition styles, and sentencing characteristics, and examines how the nine counties' environmental, organizational, and individual aspects and felony processes relate to court operations. Results indicate that judges' and attorneys' attitudes help explain disparities in sentencing but not the levels or severity of sanctions. Attitudes cannot be divorced from specific contexts including local traditions and expectations of what is considered appropriate punishment. Similarly, environmental and organizational features of the nine jurisdictions play a role in case processing characteristics. The volumes include numerous data tables, various study materials (i.e., questionnaires, forms, etc.), other illustrations, and reference notes.